Extracorporeal blood disinfection systems and methods

An extracorporeal blood disinfection system, comprising:

• an input tube forming a flowpath for the flow of infected blood from a mammalian patient;
• a disinfection unit, comprising:
• a microbicidal light emitting device configured to emit visible light;
• a treatment flowpath in communication with the input tube that is substantially transparent to the emitted light of the microbicidal light emitting device for receiving at least a portion of the flow of the infected blood therethrough;
• and
• at least one thermal management device configured to dissipate heat such that the microbicidal light emitting device is prevented from overheating the blood within the treatment pathway above a predefined temperature,
• wherein the microbicidal light emitting device effectuates a dose of the emitted visible light to the infected blood flowing through the treatment flowpath to disinfect the blood, the dose of visible light consisting essentially of visible light within the range of about 380 nm to about 425 nm and visible light within the range about 500 nm to about 700 nm effective to at least one of:
• eliminate pathogenic microorganisms in the infected blood;
• reduce the number of the pathogenic microorganisms in the infected blood;
• and reduce the rate of proliferation of the pathogenic microorganisms in the infected blood, and wherein the pathogenic microorganisms in the infected blood comprise at least one of bacteria, fungi, yeast and a combination thereof;
• an output tube in fluid communication with the treatment flowpath forming a flowpath for the flow of the disinfected blood from the disinfection unit back to the patient;
• and
• a pump configured to at least one of:
• provide the flow of infected blood from the patient through the input tube;
• pass the blood from the input tube through the treatment flowpath;
• and
• provide the flow of disinfected blood to the patient through the output tube.